Slow Cooker Chicken Biryani Recipe

Also spelled biriani, this dish originally comes from Persia (modern day Iran). It is popular throughout the Middle East, Pakistan, and India as well. Chicken biryani has been enjoyed by the people in these regions for centuries and as such has many varieties. In general, it is a spicy dish of layered meat and basmati rice. Biryani is usually an elaborate dish that requires many hours of preparation. However, this recipe for chicken biryani is much simpler to prepare but the flavor is just as rich and complex as traditional chicken biryani.  Try it with Homemade Tabasco Hot Sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
slow cooker

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tspn cayenne pepper, ground
1 tspn turmeric, ground
2 tspn fresh ginger root, minced
4 -5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tspn 5 spice powder
pinch of Kosher salt


5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tspn cardamom, ground
1 1/2 tspn chili powder
1 tspn dried coriander, ground


1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
7 cloves
1  1/2 cups basmati rice
1 tspn ground cinnamon


sour cream or yogurt

Preparation:

1. Mix together the yogurt, cayenne pepper, turmeric, ginger root, garlic, 5 spice, and Kosher salt. Place the pieces of chicken breast into the marinade being sure to coat all of the pieces. Refrigerate the chicken and marinade for at least 2 hours.
   
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the diced yellow onion until some of the onions become crispy and dark brown.
   
3. Remove the onions from the oil and retain the oil.
4. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and mix in the mint, cilantro, cardamom, chili powder, coriander and the oil from the onions. Refrigerate the chicken mixture for another hour.
   
5. Add 5 cups of water to a large pot over medium heat. When the water is about to boil, add the basmati rice, cloves, bay leaf, and the cinnamon stick. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the rice from the heat and strain off any excess water. Remove the cloves, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick from the rice.
   
7. Grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker.
8. Place the chicken evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker.
9. Next, cover the chicken with half of the rice
10. Top the rice with the onions and ground cinnamon.
11. Cover the onions with the remaining rice topped with one fresh mint leaf.
    
12. Cook on low heat for 4 hours in your slow cooker.
13. Serve the chicken biryani in bowls with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Iran [ print this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Biryani ]